Cast members said “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, was a challenge and opportunity for them to hone their acting skills. The play was performed from March 12 to 14. According to the Associate Director Michaela Bayona, it was the last play that the director, Neil Freeman, and stage manager and production facilitator Craig Ferre would do together. “Neil is amazing – has these wonderful ideas,” said Bayona. “One of the best parts about working with him is how much he focuses on the language of the show. He figures out the language is what’s going to bring out the movements, which is something I hadn’t really seen before, but the way he executed it was a really great learning experience for me.”The play follows the story of two friends, Jack Worthington and Algernon Moncrieff and their love interests, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. When the two men adopt the name Earnest and propose to two different women, characters meet, and confusion and laughter ensue. The students put a lot of effort into the play, practicing hard for five weeks before opening night. It is a BYUH tradition to put on a play during Winter Semester, whether classical or Shakespeare, but some veteran actors said “Earnest” was a challenge. Dannia Tan, a junior from Utah majoring in theater, who played Lady Bracknell, said, “This was probably the hardest one. I’ve done Shakespeare before, but it paled in comparison.”Cameron Abaroa, a senior from Arizona majoring in international cultural studies, who played Algernon Moncrieff, said about the language in the play, “It’s kind of what made this a very unique challenge because the language is so distinct. So much goes into actually speaking it.” Students and stage crew took the best from their performance. Abaroa, a veteran performer at BYUH, having performed in “Mary Poppins” a month before, said from his experience, “Having come from playing Mr. Banks to playing this person who doesn’t care about anything, it was a challenge, but it was an opportunity.” Michael Lau, a high school teacher from Kahuku who played the relatively serious Jack Worthington, was in the play to have one last show with Freeman and Ferre. Lau said he enjoyed it, but he added, “I actually think this role was super hard for me. I’ve always wanted to play Algernon. I’ve played a lot of silly roles, so it’s been really hard to get into character.” Uploaded March 19, 2015
Writer: Rachel Reed
